Under the theme of “Natural History, Ecology and Conservation on Caribbean Islands” the 8th Wider Caribbean Environmental Youth Program will be presented at the U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) from July 30 to August 4, 2007. This program focuses on the decision makers of tomorrow, by providing Caribbean young people with awareness on environmental issues in a fun, yet educational way. This eco camp is sponsored by the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), its environmental subsidiary, the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), American Airlines and Clean Islands International.

“One of the program goals is to facilitate the development of a positive environmental ethic by students, which builds their awareness and strengthens their commitment to conservation of the natural environment and sustainable development for the good of human society” said program coordinator Randy Brown.

Students, ages 12-18, will be immersed in activities that cover natural history and ecology of selected Caribbean ecosystems – coral reefs, sea grass beds, mangrove wetlands, dry forest and moist forest – conservation issues, natural resources management strategies, and environmental careers.

The daily schedule includes field activities such as guided plant walks, hikes to petroglyphs and reef bays, as well as group discussions on personal experiences, eco-systems and environmental ethics. The group of instructors leading this program includes professional presenters and local experts with practical experience in conservation, biology, marine biology, terrestrial tropical ecology, environmental policy, waste management and environmental education.

The cultural and environmental exchanges are two very important components of this program. As part of the curriculum, each group is invited to make a presentation about their history, environmental issues and concerns affecting their country, while the cultural exchange is pervasive throughout the duration of the camp, especially each night, when students take turns to prepare a local dish from their country and present it to the entire group at dinner.

“The key for the success of this program is that participants are immersed in a real, first-hand experience with nature; not only do they learn about the surrounding eco-systems, but they see and feel them as part of the learning process” says Deirdre Shurland from CAST, adding that participants are also encouraged to conserve water and energy, recycle, and respect the wildlife around the camp.